Beer: Reviews & Ratings

Enjoyed at the brewpub. Cloudy yellow, some head, very lacey. A little too peachy than saison but I am quibling about a nicely drinkable beer. Would have liked more subtly and balance, as per the aroma. Tartness as promised would have been nice too. Tweaked for chicks? Average mouthfeel, awitha drying finish. (310 characters)

Pours a somewhat cloudy light apricot color with a white head. Smell is of sweet peaches, very reminiscent of a peach Jolly Rancher with a touch less sweetness. Somewhat one dimensional, but this is one of the things that they do best--great fruit beers that offer up exactly what their name tells you they will. Taste is similar to the nose, although the peach flavor is just a tad bit cloying in these concentrations without much else backing it up. Mouthfeel is light and refreshing. Very drinkable. Very nice and refreshing during the hotter months. (611 characters)

Appearance: Arrives with a cloudy peach nectar color; the modest head leaves a bit of lace behind before fading away entirely

Smell: Fresh peach aroma; very aromatic

Taste: Fresh peaches, up front, with a developing orange element; after the swallow, the peach flavor picks it up a notch but the orange bitterness adds complexity to the finish

Mouthfeel: Full body with low carbonation

Drinkability: One of the better fruit beers I have encountered, yet I wouldn't want to have more than a pint at a sitting; by the way, I think the "saison" in the name is more of a pun than a descriptor of the style as there is nothing Belgian about this beer (649 characters)

This poured out as a clear looking orange color with a white head on top that fades rather quickly. There is no head retention or lacing on this. The smell of the beer gives off some sweet peach aromas and some subtle hints of malt. The taste of the wee gives off some tart and sweet peach flavors. The mouthfeel is a good at first but gets a little syrupy toward the end. Overall this beer is really good at first but after a while it starts to get a little too sweet. A glass or two of this would be awesome, but after several it's get to be a little much. Still good though. (577 characters)

Pours a hazy, deep, burnt orange with about 3/4 of a finger of brite-white head. Solid retention that flares up nicely, leaving a huge cascade of lacing that sticks absolutley to the sides of the glass. Hello? Fresh peach tartness just dominates the nose, with some additional yeasty funk that compliments the tartness and keeps things interesting.

The taste is just succulent fresh peach characacter that literally tastes like someone just squeezed some right into the glass. The peach taste is fairly tart but there is also some underlying sweetness under there that pulls some of the sour back. Much like the aroma, there is also just a tingle of funk in the back that livens things up and keeps this from becoming one-note from all of the peach taste. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a smooth and creamy feel that carries all of that tanginess well. Finishes with a smack of crisp tartness that has you licking your lips.

Wow! Wow! Wow! Another beautiful work of art of a fruit beer from the SGB. Fresh and incredibly tasty and I love how the Saison aspects gave this some extra oompth. My mouth is just salivating thinking of this stuff. (1,201 characters)

I had this on tap at the brewpub in Selinsgrove, served chilled in a goblet.

A - The appearance is of peach juice with a hazy appearance and no head to speak of. The color is like butternut squash flesh

S - Very fruity like a fresh peach nectar was poured in place of a saison. The nose also has slight notes of honey

M - Thick feel like a nectar (again), the texture is slightly sweet w/ a modest amount of carbonation which comes and goes. The feel is kept from cloying territory by the carbonation, however it finishes pretty sweet.

T - A peach nectar in most ways, very slight similarity to a saison other than a light tartness w/ fresh fruit taste throughout. The beer is really un-saison like when it comes down to it with fruit syrup taste and mellow taste of malt. The yeast is clean and is barely noticed until the finish

D - tasty beer, I won't knock it since I love peaches, but the drinkability is less than stellar since it lacks the effervescence to seem refreshing. (988 characters)

Thanks to Tanger for hooking the Chicago crew up with a few Selin's Grove growlers. Served in a NotLA taster glass.

A - One finger of off-white foam that dissipates to a light haze. Not much in the way of lacing. Looks like peach juice - light hazed straw yellow color.

S - Lots of saccharine peach flavor. Not much saison flavor - only the slightest bit of saison here, with a touch of yeast and spice. It's mono-dimensional but delicious.

T - Again, this is like drinking peach juice from concentrate, but with a touch more tartness and yeast to it. As a fruit beer it's pretty awesome (a la New Glarus), but as a Saison it's a little underwhelming. The saison characters do come out a little more as it warms, but it's still very much in the background.

M - Very nectar-like and sticky - almost a medium-bodied juice-like consistency, but with a touch of carbonation. Finish has some light stickiness, but it's not cloying. Very appropriate for what they were trying to do.

D - This would be a pretty refreshing in the summertime, although maybe not as much as a regular Saison, with the thicker mouthfeel and sugary character. Still the ABV is low and I could drink a lot of this one.

Note - just read this isn't a "Saison" - that make sense, as it doesn't taste much like one. Still - it was too one-dimensional for me to bump up the taste/smell scores. (1,364 characters)

A - Pours just like a fuzzy peach would look with a very small white head, dissipating down to a thin ring around the edge of the glass, leaving very little lace down the glass.

S - Smells of fresh, ripe peaches from start to finish. Hints of pale malt, spicy yeast and some light sugary sweetness round things out. This one is all about the peaches, making a bit one dimensional in the nose.

T - Starts off with a ton of juicy, ripe peaches that never really fade away. Hints of spicy yeast, pale malt, sugary sweetness and some orange marmalade. Balance of tart to sweet is pretty good from start to finish. Finish is sweet with some lingering dryness, not sticking around for very long.

M - Medium body with moderate to low carbonation. Smooth, sweet feel from start to finish. It goes a touch watery toward the end of the glass.

O - The two year wait was a grueling one but it was worth it, I could drink this beer all day. If you like peaches this is your beer. It is very easy to drink and packs a TON of flavor into a small package. Get some while you can! (1,098 characters)

And its back. SGB's peach fruit beer that was MIA last year due to an unfavorable peach harvest. Poured from a growler into a couple goblets and shared with the family. It appears a hazed golden orange with a white frothy cap that is quick to fade (just like the other SGB fruit offerings.) Faint patchy lace sticks to the glass and a swirl revives a finger of bubbles back to the surface.

The smell is strikingly strong with a spice of clove. Peach juice with earthy quality like grass and yeast mixes with a touch of alcohol. The fruit is certainly there in the nose with a complenting complexity brought forth by a yeastiness that is similar to their triple.

The taste includes spices similar to clove coupled with fresh juicy peaches. It integrates with a mild earthiness and tart wheat flavor. More sips bring out a tartness similar to peaches that arnt quite ripe enough while other sips are contrastingly sweet and seemingly over-ripe to caramelized. There is a minor herbal hop touch with some fusel tinges of alcohol and lots of yeasty quality filling the void and confirming this as a fruited beer.

This is a heavier side of medium bodied brew with a light level of carbonation. It is creamy smooth and nicely drinkable. I really enjoyed the layering of peach flavors here but found myself distracted a bit by the clove which seemed over-done and out of place. This was long awaited for me as it was not available last year and I missed it the year before. Has it really been 3 years since I last tasted this? Ouch. (1,528 characters)

Pours a slightly cloudy bright golden orange/ripe banana golden yellow color with some clear golden hues when held to a light source and a one finger frothy, creamy head that slowly fades into a lasting ring. Nice sporadic chunks of soapy lacing.

Slightly earthy aroma with some nice spiciness and some subtle bready yeast. Crisp with a peppery presence and sweet crisp peach presence. There is also some other light fruit notes; apple and pear. Not much alcohol in the nose. Slight grass funk with some straw but the peach really shines through without seeming syrupy or cloyingly sweet.

This is surprisingly very full bodied with a MASSIVE amount of sweet cirsp peach flavor that dominates throughout. The body is creamy and there are some funky tart earthy notes as ell as some peppery spice that provide a nice touch but this beer is all peach. Even though the peach flavor dominates, it is a very organic natural flavor and has none of the artificial syrupy sweetness that generally is found in fruit beers. The ABV is completely undetectable, making this beer extremely drinkable. I highly recommend this to fans of New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red and Raspberry Tart. (1,176 characters)

A: The ale has a difficult to describe color. It's a combination of yellow and brown, lightly golden looking like a tree in Cental PA in mid-October. A haziness pervades the ale, augmenting the color. A finger of white head from the first pour didn't lace. Nothing was conjured up on subsequent pours.

S: The nose is juicy sweet, loaded with fresh peaches. The aroma is nearly drop-dead awesome, dripping with fruit.

T: Much like the nose, peaches really drive the body of the ale. The fruit is sweet and sugary, replenishing what the yeast has taken away. Somewhere in the middle, pale malts add a bready flavor. Peach returns for the finish, a strong dose of pulpy fruit.

M: The mouthfeel is excellent. The peach isn't overbearing even though it defines every aspect of the ale. Possibly the best peach beer I've ever had.

D: Sessionable and delicious, a great one-two punch. Having multiple glasses reinforced how powerful the peach is. A well-made ale. The sweetness does get filling after a few glasses. (1,060 characters)

A: A cloudy orange pour is highlighted with some brass tones, similar in color to that of those large street vendor pretzels (which I happened to have ordered along with my beer). A seashell white head, slight in statue and retention sits briefly atop before dissipating to a patchy covering. Inside lied a vibrant strong carbonation, quite visible and dominant even in the muddled orange coloring. Though the head was not as impressive, it did cling well to the sides of the glass forming a frothy large band around the perimeter.

T: From the first to the very last sip will have you going wow. Things open up sweetly with some belgain candy and oranges set against a creamy wheat backing. Spicy hops, reminds me of goldings, add a zesty zing along with some fresh wet tropical fruitiness of pineapples, apricots followed by the guest of honor peach juice. Wet luscious peach juice which finished out dry and crisply with a supporting cast of tangerines and some orange liquor on the fade. I really enjoyed the fresh and locally utilized peaches which were perfectly balanced giving you great influences without drowning out other fine qualities it had supporting it.

M: Nice bubbly and creamy mouthful, medium bodied that finishes up with a peach tartness on the tongue. Words simply fail to describe the creamy and luscious body so i'll let the rating speak for itself.

D: As with the flavor, drinkability was very good, damn good. Juicy peaches add to this summertime quencher delivering sweet and fruity notes upfront while finishing up with a dry crisp tartness. This beer literally disappeared in the blink of an eye and can easily be mentioned in the same sentence as other greats per style such as Fantome and Saison du pont. A hefty price of $29 per growler seems steep only before you sample this but well worth it, hell I wouldn't blink at a keg price. A great experience to beat the heat that will leave you cool and refreshed. (2,141 characters)

Presentation: Available On-Tap at the Selins Grove Brewery during a quiet Saturday afternoon visit. Shared this one with BA Erica, sampled from a Goblet as this was listed as a ** on the Menu which meant that it was a Special and not available in the larger glass sizes or even growlers.

Appearance: Pale gold body with finely attenuated bubbles which cling to the surface but never completely disappear. Minimal carbonation but enough to lend life.

Nose: Reminded me of the hit you get when you open a Tin of Peaches for the first time. Fruit salad finish with a little sweetness.

Taste: The entrance is clean and pretty crisp but soon the fleshy peaches completely take over this brew, they just totally annihilate anything that was previously there. I managed to some grain and breaded yeast but it was fleeting. Akin to drinking a carbonated version of the sweetened juice from a tin of peaches. Im sure some will really enjoy this but the sweetness of the peaches just put me off this one.

Mouthfeel: Reasonably carbonated but a little low on life. Has a shallow feel at first but the peach sweetness just takes control, this does help to bolster this one in the backend.

Drinkability: Tried a couple of tastes, but I got to grips with this one first time around. Distinctive but just too Peachy - is that a word!?

Overall: Glad I shared this one. The idea of a Peche Saison sounds great, but whilst this one had plenty of Peche it was lacking in the Saison, so ultimately this one failed to live up to my expectations, it was just too sweet for my liking. Not bad, but a little girlie, if that doesnt sound offensive. (1,651 characters)

a: served in a chalice, in the dimly lit bar it shows as a golden color becoming amber towards the center, heavily hazed, and sporting a top layer of eggshell white head, great retention and lace

s: intense fresh peach pulp and loads of crusty, bready pale grain, cobbler filling, a slurry of belgian yeast but without any spice output, the base and fruit compliment seamlessly, great play between the peach and yeast while the pale malts push the fruit front-and-center

t: a body of rich, bready pale grains is enveloped in a coating of peach nectar, bushels of fresh peaches, sugary cobbler with a grainy crust, peachy yeast slurry, a very mild grassiness in the finish, sugars lingering all over with each sip - doesn't bother me one bit, the peach presence here is really something else - it's pure and fresh, showcasing all the best qualities of the fruit with a base beer that works perfectly

d: just delicious, one to savor - but more out of respect than necessity, limited just a bit by the sugary nature

an incredible fruit beer, and one of the few that occupy the same realm as the New Glarus fruits

Reviewed on 10/27/08. On tap at the brewpub. Pours a cloudy light orange with a thick small white head. Aroma of sour peach seeds, Beligian yeast, and lots of pulp (some orange pulp). Flavor is of sweeter peach and peach juice with a touch of orange seed, sugar, wheat malt, whipped cream, and sourness. Natural fruit, not artificially sweet. Similar to DFH Lestina Lente (but better!). This was my favorite beer from Selin's Grove and it is absolutely awesome. Wow, best peach beer there is. I also had this mixed with the Organic Tripel so if you're looking for a less sweet, less peachy version, I would recommend that. Top notch beer. If this was my local brewpub...I would be in heaven. This is worth the trip (especially so if you really like fruit beers).9/5/10/5/18 (4.7/5) (782 characters)

I was going to get a growler of this, but it kicked on my pour (at least I had the change to get some!).

Poured a medium and hazy golden color with a small sized white head. Aromas of peaches with some citrus. Tastes of peaches (lot more than the aromas), citrus, and some spiciness. Started out sweet and ended in a nice peach tart finish. I usually hate peaches, but this one worked for me and damn, I wish I was able to get a Growler of it.

A - Cloudy peach-colored body with orange and copper hues and half a finger of creamy white head that settled into a ring of retention but flared up with each agitation. Head also left a nice coating of sticky lacing around the glass.

T - The sweetness of the fresh peach and the sour tartness of the yeast really works well together. There is only an inkling of funk in the backend, and virtually no bitterness at all. Some earthy aspects emerge in the finish, but overall this brew is all about juicy peach complemented by a sour tartness. Beautiful!

M - Creamy, smooth body with just enough carbonation to provide a bit of prickly texture on the palate. Finishes with a pleasant tart sourness in contrast to the sweetness on the tongue.

D - All I can say is... FINALLY! I have been waiting so long to try this, and it definitely exceeded my expectations. Wow! The flavor of this brew is absolutely amazing. Simply one of the best fruit beers I've ever had. Huge props to Steve and Heather for creating this sweet nectar of the Gods! (1,208 characters)

D-R U Kidding? The tartness in this years batch only adds to it's crack-a-bility! A stellar beer I have been waiting with baited breath for all year. Thank goodness it did not disappoint! (656 characters)

This was a cloudy, white-ish peach color. It poured out of the growler with a short lived fizzy head.

Wow, what a peach showcase! The nose is syrupy peaches, both tart and sweet with hints of warmth. On the palate as well this is peach first and beer a distant second. There is a nice balance between the tart and sweet peachiness. This drinks like a peach liqueur diluted with peach juice. The mouthfeel is syrupy and heavy.

Glad this was on when we came through, there is nothing else like this out there. (509 characters)

S-Sweet peaches but not much else really. No real Belgian notes that I can detect.

T-Like carbonated peach juice, with a bit more tartness. Maybe I am getting too hung up on the "saison" part of the beer name but where is the yeasty zing, the spice, the funk or the depth and complexity of flavor?

M-Rather lightly carbonated, moderately dry.

D-A very tasty brew but not at all what I was expecting. SGB is one of my favorite breweries around but this was a let down for me.

I was lucky enough to receive this growler today in a great trade with Kegatron, thanks Heath! Selin's Grove Peche Saison gurgles from the filled to the brim growler into my tulip a hazy apricot orange. The haziness is enough to keep me from seeing through the glass. A two finger clean white head formed on the first pour but fell rather quickly to a skimming and small ring. The second pour had a little better retention and thin sheet lacing down the glass.

The nose is right there between a fruit beer and saison. I'm not completely sure which way this beer leans. The peach shows some sweet and some tart in the nose as it's the first thing to hit me out of the glass. The saison flits around underneath the peach with hints of tart green apple wafting through here and there. Faint earthiness lays down the base of this peach infused saison with some white pepper sprinkled in for good measure. The nose of this beer is very appetizing but I would have liked to see a little more of the saison coming through in the nose.

Luckily the saison comes through more in the flavor then in the aroma. Green apple mingles with the peaches and creates a fruitiness I've never come across before. The peach is more tart then sweet and the tartness actually grows as this beer works through the mouth. There's a faint earthiness that's barely detectable before a residual sweetness washes over my tongue quickly mid palate. The tartness kicks in on the backend and swallow. This is an interesting saison.

The mouthfeel of this beer doesn't have that perfect mouthfeel of the best saisons but it does have an incredible dryness on the swallow that leaves me parched while the tartness takes hold. The body is fairly light and the carbonation pretty mellow for a saison. At this point I've come to expect different things then a normal saison.

This growler is going down the hatch no problem. Peche Saison would be one of those perfect outdoor summer sippers, and even though it just cooled down here it's still hard to put down the glass.

This is my first taste of Selin's Grove and hopefully not my last. I really like the idea behind this beer and they did a great job putting it together. If I had any complaint, which is just me being too picky for my own good, it would be that the peach seems to overtake the saison at times. Thanks for the generous growler Heath! (2,382 characters)